Kids’ TV Show on Sleep, Created by Duquesne Professor, to Air Locally and Across Country

TV viewers including in Pittsburgh  and major cities in 34 states can tune into a one-hour show/mini-movie focused on sleep and encouraging kids to ask experts questions.

The Scientastic! program Are You Sleeping? Dormez Vous?, aimed at 8- to 13-year-olds, will air in Pittsburgh on WQED on Sunday, April 6, at 7 p.m. and repeat on Sunday, April 13, at noon. The show is part of the multifaceted multimedia science literacy efforts of Dr. John Pollock, associate professor of biological sciences.

In April, nearly 100 public television stations will air the episode, which was produced in partnership with David Caldwell of Planet Earth Television. Students from the Pittsburgh Public School’s Creative and Performing Arts magnet school and Winchester Thurston School added their skills to the production.

Pollock, who conducts basic science research on the nervous system, also focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and health literacy. With this show, he explores issues surrounding the national trend toward the lack of sleep and its significant impact on our lives.

The star, 14-year-old Cassie, stays up all night to study for a math test that is ultimately a disaster. Her quest to learn why takes her and her younger brother to a sleep lab, zoo, botanical gardens, an art studio, an observatory, even a cave (all Pittsburgh locations).

Most children need about 10 hours of quality sleep a night but typically get far less—and adults are no better, according to the national Centers for Disease Control. The lack of quality sleep profoundly affects our capacity to learn and make decisions. “Getting enough sleep helps us be better learners, evens out our emotions and helps us stay healthy in almost every way you can imagine,” noted Pollock.

Studies that Pollock and his team have conducted on Scientastic! indicate that the portrayal of inquisitive behavior positively impacts viewers—especially children—to become more confident in asking scientific questions and to be more likely to ask experts questions, improving their knowledge and their data-gathering skills.

Science is for everyone, not just those who will become scientists. “Just like we teach kids to play baseball, soccer or some other sport, it’s for the love of the game, for health and so they can enjoy it the rest of their lives,” Pollock said. “We don’t expect every one of them to grow up to be an Olympian or a pro. Science is the same: learn it for the fun and love of it, and enjoy learning the rest of your life.”

To learn more about the show and the science behind the program, catch a sneak preview. Later, visit www.ScientasticTV.com.

Original support for the program was provided by the Science Education Partnership Awards from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education as well from the National Science Foundation and UPMC, among other funders.